Roger Rogerson
Roger Caleb Rogerson (born 3 January 1941) is a former detective sergeant of the New South Wales Police Force and a convicted murderer. During Rogerson's career, he was one of the most decorated officers in the police force, having received at least thirteen awards for bravery, outstanding policemanship and devotion to duty including the Peter Mitchell Trophy, the highest annual police award. During his time in office he was implicated in—but never convicted of—two killings, bribery, assault and drug dealing.A bizarre twist has Rogerson answering questions of murder. The Northern Star, 31 May 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2016 In 1999, Rogerson was convicted of perverting the course of justice and lying to the Police Integrity Commission. He is also known for his association with other New South Wales (NSW) detectives who are reputed to have been corrupt, including Ray "Gunner" Kelly and Fred Krahe, and with a number of organised crime figures, including Abe Saffron,Taylor, Grant. The Weekend West, 20–21 February 2016, p.9. "former WA detective said he was introduced to Mr Rogerson June 1975 at the Raffles Hotel in Applecross just days after Shirley Finn Perth brothel keeper was killed. Drinking with Mr Rogerson at the Raffles was vice-squad head Bernie Johnson and Saffron" Arthur "Neddy" Smith and Christopher Dale Flannery. Smith was a convicted heroin dealer, rapist and armed robber who has claimed Rogerson gave him the "green light" to commit crimes in NSW, while Flannery specialised in contract killing. In May 2014, Rogerson was remanded in prison after being charged, along with fellow former NSW detective Glen McNamara, with the murder of 20-year-old student Jamie Gao, and supply of drugs. Both pleaded not guilty in January 2015. Their trial was started in July 2015, but was aborted after two days because of the potential prejudice caused after McNamara's then-barrister Charles Waterstreet made a reference to Rogerson "killing two or three people when he was in the police force".Bibby, Paul. "Jury discharged in trial of Roger Rogerson, Glen McNamara for Jamie Gao murder", Sydney Morning Herald, 28 July 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2016 Following a retrial, both Rogerson and McNamara were found guilty of murder. In September 2016, both were sentenced to jail for life for the murder of Gao. Biography 'Police career' Rogerson worked on some of the biggest cases of the early 1970s, including the Toecutter Gang Murder and the Whiskey Au Go Go Fire in Brisbane. By 1978, his reputation was sufficient to gain convictions based on the strength of unsigned records of interviews with prisoners (known as "police verbals"). He was brought in to investigate the Ananda Marga conspiracy case, despite having no connections to the Special Branch investigating the case. Tim Anderson, one of the three released in 1985, claimed the confession Rogerson extracted was fabricated, and that he and two other members of the Ananda Marga group were convicted in part because of Rogerson's fabrications.see Take Two by Tim Anderson, 1992, > The Peter Mitchell Award was presented to Rogerson in 1980 for the arrest of escaped armed robber Gary Purdey. This was tainted by Purdey's claims that Rogerson assaulted him, prevented him from calling his solicitor and typed up to five different records of interview. Rogerson was responsible for the 1981 shooting death of Warren Lanfranchi. During the inquest, the coroner found Rogerson was acting in the line of duty, but a jury declined to find he had acted in self-defence. However, it was alleged by Lanfranchi's partner, Sallie-Anne Huckstepp, and later by Neddy Smith, that Rogerson had murdered Lanfranchi as retribution for robbing another heroin dealer who was under police protection and for firing a gun at a police officer. Huckstepp, a heroin addict and prostitute, appeared on numerous current affairs programs, including 60 Minutes and A Current Affair, demanding an investigation into the shooting. She also made statements to the New South Wales Police Internal Affairs Branch. Huckstepp was later murdered, her body found in a pond in Centennial Park, New South Wales. Fellow police officer Michael Drury has alleged that Rogerson was involved in his attempted murder. Drury claims he refused to accept a bribe Rogerson offered in exchange for evidence tampering in a heroin trafficking trial of convicted Melbourne drug dealer Alan Williams. On 6 June 1984, Drury was shot twice through his kitchen window as he fed his three-year-old daughter. Rogerson was charged with the shooting and Williams testified that he and Christopher Dale Flannery had agreed to murder Drury for A$50,000 each. However, on 20 November 1989, Rogerson was acquitted.Goodsir, D. Line of Fire: The inside story of the controversial shooting of undercover policeman Michael Drury, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, 1995. . Rogerson received a criminal conviction, which was overturned on appeal, for involvement in drug dealing, allegedly conspiring with notorious Melbourne drug dealer Dennis Allen to supply heroin. References Category:1941 births Category:20th-century Australian criminals Category:21st-century Australian criminals Category:Australian autobiographers Category:Australian crime writers Category:Australian drug traffickers Category:Australian people convicted of murder Category:Australian police officers with criminal convictions Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Australian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment Category:Criminals from Sydney Category:Detectives and criminal investigators Category:Organised crime in Australia Category:People convicted of murder by New South Wales Category:Police misconduct in Australia Category:Police officers convicted of drug trafficking Category:Police officers convicted of murder Category:Police officers convicted of planting evidence Category:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by New South Wales